The Pardon
by GeneaLady
Summary: A little missing scene between when Michaela tells Sully that her deal came through and when they go talk to Black Moon.


_**Author's Note: This fic is written for my sweet friend Adri. Happy birthday!**_

* * *

_From inside the cave that had doubled as both his safe haven and his prison for the past 6 months, Sully heard the sound of a horse swiftly approaching. One would think, considering his circumstances, that he would have gone further into the cave to hide in case it was a soldier, but his heart told him it was Michaela, so he made his way to the dirt path. Seeing her approach, he tried to read her expression. It was much safer for her to come to him under the cover of darkness. Had something happened in town? Were the children ok?_

_Seeing him waiting for her, Michaela dismounted her horse and went to immediately to him, taking his hands in hers. Before he could ask questions, she spoke, "The army, Sully, they've agreed to our terms... and you're coming home!"_

_To say that Sully was shocked was an understatement. The army had been so vengeful and obstinent on the issue of him being punished with anything less than the fullest extent of the law, what... or who... could have possibly changed their mind? _

_"What?" he asked as he broke out into a grin. He knew that Michaela would never lie to him, especially about this, but even though she was the one telling him, he was still in a state of disbelief._

_"Tomorrow! You're being pardoned- full and unconditional. You'll be free!" Michaela squealed with pure joy and launched herself into Sully's waiting arms._

_As soon as his arms were around Michaela, he growled playfully and kissed her with all the passion he felt for her._

* * *

Noticing that Michaela was delirously distracted by his kiss, Sully swooped her up and began carrying her toward the cave. Feeling her feet leave the ground, Michaela gasped happily. "Sully, what are you doing?" she asked laughing. She'd been married to Sully long enough to know very well what he was doing, so it was more of a statement of surprise than an actual question.

Sully looked into the bi-colored eyes of his wife that he loved so much and replied playfully, "It's been way too long if ya don't know what I'm doin'."

Before the whole O'Connor/Indian fiasco, Sully and Michaela had made love nearly every night (and morning) since their wedding night, but they hadn't been together since they'd managed to sneak Sully into, or rather under, the house for Thanksgiving over 3 weeks ago, the longest they'd gone without one another's enthusiasm since Katie had been born a year and a half earlier. Even Sully's speedy recovery from his fall had allowed them to reunite in that special way in a shorter time span.

"It has been too long," she agreed as she melted into his embrace. "And I apppreciate your enthusiasm, but you'll be home in less than twenty-four hours. Tomorrow night we can make love in our own bed."

Sully moaned softly at the thought and claimed her lips in another kiss, this one slow and gentle. When the kiss broke, he replied, "Believe me, I'm lookin' forward ta makin' love ta ya tomorrow night til the sun comes up, but I wanna thank ya for all ya've done for me-right here, right now."

"What about Black Moon? We need to make plans for his surrender tomorrow. He's waiting for us," she tried to object again, even though her body was already in complete agreement with Sully's plans.

"We'll see 'im soon enough. He ain't goin' anywhere. Right now, you're mine," was his reply.

"Oh, Byron," Michaela whispered, using the intimate name he let her only her use, and even then only when they were alone and in their most private of moments. "Don't you know? I'm always yours. I have been since the moment we met, I suppose."

Sully smiled, knowing that she had finally surrendered to him, and kissed her once more.

Once in the cave, Sully walked to the deepest part of it, where the animal furs he used for a bed were laid, and set Michaela gently on top of them. He turned his back from her just long enough to throw his tool belt down and then knelt down beside her. "How'd you do it, 'Chaela?" he ask incredulously of the woman he loved more than life, or freedom, itself.

"It wasn't easy even getting Maj. Morrison to agree to Black Moon's surrender in exchange for the freedom of the other Indians. Thanks for that largely goes to Welland Smith and Daniel," she began. "But once he agreed to that, I knew I could get him to agree to anything. Just as I was about to agree to the deal, a sense of urgency came over me. I can't explain it, but something told me that this was our last chance so, before we shook on the deal, I told him that it must also include your full and unconditional pardon. When I went into the meeting, I didn't plan on that proposal, and both Daniel and Mr. Smith were shocked to say the least, but I told Maj. Morrison if he didn't agree to that, there would be no deal. After some convincing, from all three of us, that President Grant wanted this taken care of swiftly and with no more blood shed on either side, he reluctantly agreed. Given his initial reaction to having to compromise at all, it almost seemed too easy."

Sully couldn't have been more proud of Michaela than he was at that moment. He leaned in and whispered, "I knew ya could do it, 'Chaela. I'm so prouda ya," before just barely brushing his lips over hers, leaving her desperate for more. His lips still a breath from hers, he continued as he lovingly stroked her soft cheek with his calloused fingers, "Black Kettle was right, ya are a "crazy white woman"... but you're _my_ "crazy white woman"... I knew when we went ta Harding's Mill that ya could do anythin' ya set your mind ta, but I didn't know that ya'd use that stubbornness I found so annoyin'... so intimidatin'... so _sensual_... ta save my life, more than once. If I had, I woulda married ya then. I owe ya my life, 'Chaela. No way I can repay ya for all ya've done for me."

At his declaration, Michaela's eyes pooled with tears and she claimed his lips in a kiss that left him no doubt that him being there, with her in that moment, was all the thanks she needed.

As the kiss broke, Sully wiped her tears. Silently, he slipped her arms out of her leather jacket, laying it back behind her to serve as another layer of padding on the cold, damp floor of the cave. He knew the time for words were over, but he couldn't help whispering, "Né-méhotatséme."

Michaela smiled. Nothing warmed her heart more than when he chose to express his love for her in Cheyenne, but given the circumstances, it had an even more profound meaning. "Né-méhotatséme," she whispered in return.

With that, the pair fell into a comfortable silence as they locked eyes. Sully reached up and began letting down Michaela's hair, removing the pins that held her bun in place and running his fingers down the long auburn tresses. When he was sure he found them all, Sully put the hair pins into his medicine pouch for safe keeping before returning his attention to her. Wanting her to feel as desired and cherished as possible, he once again raised his hands to her head and softly massaged her scalp with his calloused fingers. As he began his tender caresses, Michaela's eyes fluttered closed and she moaned softly, eliciting a satisfied grin from Sully.

When he felt that she was completely relaxed, Sully gently stroked Michaela's cheek to get her to look at him. When their eyes met once again, he kissed her tenderly before slowly began unbuttoning Michaela's blouse, a task he'd done so many times that he didn't need to look. Once the last button was undone, Sully moved his hands down to undo her belt. Sliding it off and setting it next to his own, he slid her shirt down off her slender arms and laid it on top of her jacket.

Sully broke eye contact with Michaela and his eyes traveled down her body. When they reached her chest, he smiled seeing that her peaks were already reacting in expectation to his touch. As much as he wanted to touch them, he decided instead to remove her skirt next. Feeling his hands brush her waist, Michaela eagerly raised her hips to allow Sully to remove her skirt. Sensing her eagerness, Sully proudly smiled at the fact that she enjoyed being with him and showed it with great enthusiasm.

Now in just her camisole and pantaloons, Michaela was eager to shed some of her husband's clothing, so she pushed his bucksin jacket off his shoulders and set it behind her to use as a pillow. Next, she slowly undid the buttons of his shirt just like he had done. As much as he wanted this to be about him giving her pleasure, Sully knew that Michaela gained great pleasure in touching his body, so he granted her a few minutes to run her soft fingers over his taught muscles.

It wasn't long before Sully began to shudder under his wife's tender ministrations and he knew that he needed to turn the focus back to her. Removing her hands from his chest gently, he kissed them before placing them in her lap. Undoing the satin ribbon at the neck of her camisole, it loosened slightly allowing him to pull it over her head. Once the thin fabric was removed from Michaela's body, Sully's eyes immediately went to her firm breasts.

Again, his hands iched to touch his wife's beautiful form, but he didn't want to rush things, so he moved down to her feet and gently removed her shoes. Now, with only stockings covering her feet, Sully slowly rolled them down Michaela's slender calf. Once she was barefoot, he began massaging her feet, causing a sweet purr to escape her lips. Sully smiled at her reaction. He loved lavishing attention on his wife's feet. Between her job as town doctor, role as a mother of four, and now her efforts to keep Sully safe and work to clear his name, he knew that she spent many long hours on her feet. He had learned very early in their marriage that the more relaxed Michaela was, the more enthusiastic she was.

Finally, Sully removed Michaela's pantaloons, revealing her body completely to him. "Ánováóó'o," he whispered as his eyes roamed her skin with the same awe that they did on they honeymoon.**  
**

At his use of the Cheyenne compliment, Michaela smiled.

Settling back at Michaela's feet, Sully gently lifted her right foot to his lips, placing a soft kiss to the bottom of it. He then slipped her big toe into his mouth, his warm tongue swirling around it as he sucked gently.

At his ministrations, Michaela gasped. Even after two and a half years of marriage, she couldn't believe the erotic sensations Sully could evoke when he sucked on her toes and they curled in his mouth.

At her reaction, Sully smirked in male pride and gave her other four toes the same attention. He then placed soft kisses on the bridge of her foot, her ankle, the front of her calf, her knee, the front of her thigh, and ending at her hip.

When Sully placed a kiss on her hip, Michaela's breath quickened. If he moved to the right just a few inches, she'd be able to feel his breath on her womanhood.

Sully noticed the change in Michaela's breathing instantly. He knew that she wanted, but he wanted to draw out her pleasure as long as possible.

When Sully pulled away rather than moving closer to her center, Michaela let out a soft, frustrated wimper, at which Sully chuckled softly, leaned over her body, and whispered in her ear, "Hësta-noo'ôtse, I love your enthusiasm, but relax. I wanna love ya completely, an' that can't be rushed."

Noticing Micheala smile and nod in agreement, Sully returned to her feet, repeating the path that his mouth had just taken, this time with her right foot and leg.

After placing a kiss to her hip, Sully moved to the right, his lips just a millimeter from her skin. As his breath finally caressed her dark brown curls, Michaela shivered. As much as her womanhood was beckoning to him, Sully was determined to love her entire body, so he kissed her lips softly before trailing downward- suckling her earlobe, nibbling her neck, and then finally kissing his way down to her left breast.

"Ohhh..." Michaela moaned, running her fingers through Sully's hair when she felt his warm tongue make contact with the firm pebble of her nipple.

Smirking against her breast, Sully continued his ministration, massaging her right breast while he sucked her left. It wasn't long before Michaela became increasingly breathless, so he reversed his attentions, her moans and gasps exciting him more with each passing moment

Deciding that she'd waited long enough, Sully slowly inserted a finger into her hot, wet center.

"Ahhh...," Michaela sighed, feeling him make contact with her most intimate place as the sexual tension was released from her body.

Hearing her sigh, Sully inserted a second finger as his thumb sought out the bundle of nerves he knew would drive her to ecstasy.

"Oh, Byron!" Michaela exclaimed as she slumped back on the make-shift bed, her hips bucking to meet his hand.

Sully loved pleasuring his wife, and seeing her reach her climax was almost enough to trigger his own. As Michaela moaned and writhed, her body flushed pink with passion, Sully's buckskins became increasingly tight. As soon as she slipped over the edge, he quickly stood to remove them before returning to Michaela.

Once he was free of the confines of his clothing, Sully resumed his place between Michaela's bent legs. His body was always hungry for Michaela, but at that moment he was hungry for her in the most literal sense, so pausing only briefly to inhale her noma'heméa'xe, he dipped his head and slipped his tongue inside of her.

The sensation of Sully's tongue inside of her, coupled with his hair brushing against the inside of her thighs as he drank her in, was almost too much for Michaela and she immediately began to tremble.

"Yes... mmm... yes..." Michaela gasped as she road her tide of ecstasy.

When she had finally calmed, Sully moved to lay next to Michaela, gathering her in his arms. "I love you," he whispered before claiming her lips in a soft kiss.

"I love you, too," Michaela replied, running her hands slowly over his broad shoulders and muscular arms.

It wasn't long before the closeness of their bodies and their intimate touches renewed their passions and Sully slowly rolled Michaela on her back. He stared down at her passion filled bi-colored eyes for several long moments before he gently nudged her knees apart and slowly slid himself inside her.

"I can't wait ta go back ta bein' able ta do this every night... an' mornin'..." Sully seductively whispered in Michaela's ear as he began his slow thrusts.

"Mmm... Me either..." she breathlessly agreed as she brought her legs up to his waist and lovingly wrapped her arms around his neck, effectively pressing his chest against hers.

The feeling of her breasts against his chest excited Sully further and he let out a groan, quickening the pace of of his movements.

"Mmm... Oh Byron..." Michaela gasped as she claimed his lips in a fiery kiss, her tongue immediately begging entrance into his mouth.

At her impassioned enthusiasm, Sully groaned into her mouth, only stoking the fire of their emotions. It wasn't long before they were both reaching the pinnacle of their climaxes. Now more than ever, Sully wanted Michaela to achieve her release first, so he broke the kiss and buried his head in the crook of her neck, using every once of will power he had to clamp his body down to prevent his own release.

"Ohhh... yes! Byron, yes!" Michaela finally shouted as her body began to convulse under him.

Her shouts served as motivation to move faster, and Michaela soon collapsed limply on the furs. With one last thrust, Sully began quaking in his own climax, hanging on to her as if he was going to fall off the earth.

"'Chaela..." Sully gasped, in awe of his love for her as he shook, sending her into the heights of passion yet again.

At a complete lose of words, Michaela incoherently moaned and gasped as they shuddered against one another. The only things she was aware of were the fire of passion coursing through her body and the feeling of her husband trembling against her.

"Oh, 'Chaela," Sully finally sighed when he was able to speak again. "That was..."

Knowing that there were no words for what they had just shared, Michaela looked up at her husband's bright blue eyes and simply whispered, "I know..." before kissing him softly.

"Com'on," he whispered, rolling them on their sides, but still connected. "Let's go talk ta Black Moon so I can come home."


End file.
